Current and former ADF members took part in an inaugural military judo teams competition during the Queensland International Open Judo Tournament at Nissan Arena, Brisbane, in September.
There were dozens of participants in the ADF versus military veterans event, which was a showcase for the tournament.
With pride on the line, it was ‘ADF two’ who claimed victory, with ADF veterans claiming silver and international veterans taking bronze.
Major (retd) John Whipp, one of the driving forces over a number of decades to incorporate combat sports into Defence, said it was an association that should continue and develop further.
“It’s wonderful and it’s something I tried to achieve for decades, so it’s great to see events like this still taking place,” Major Whipp said.
“It’s a really good sport for families in Defence too, because no matter where you get posted you’ll find a judo club and it’s easy to make friends for yourself or your children.”
Veteran Andrew Eames said the competition was a great way to remain connected to active and former Defence members.
“I often train with other veterans and that’s amazing from a mental-health perspective,” Mr Eames said.
“You can train or compete against people with similar physical abilities to you and it’s really enjoyable.”
Harrison Tomlin, a member of the gold medal-winning team, said it was an excellent competition and he enjoyed competing against people with so much experience.
“It was really fun fighting for the ADF team. I was able to win both my matches and our team came first so I was able to claim a gold medal,” Mr Tomlin said.
“This was a great opportunity to compete against people with a lot of experience and also have a bit of fun, so I hope this competition becomes a yearly event.”
